My holiday tradition is to make one meal that is connected from the protein to the drink. This year, I focused on rosemary. I smoked beef ribs rubbed with a homemade rosemary salt and black pepper mixture. And, as an indulgence, I made a cocktail pairing. I am calling it The Merry Manhattan. It was the perfect pairing. You get hints of smoke and rosemary in both the ribs and the cocktail.
I didn’t get a photo, but I asked DALL-E 3 for a visualization of the drink. My drink just had a grapefruit peel and a cherry without a stem as garnishes, but this is a pretty good way to see the drink.
Here are the ingredients and instructions for The Merry Manhattan. I hope you give this a try or make a twist on the cocktail. Let me know how you celebrate the holidays.
The Merry Manhattan
5
minutesThe Merry Manhattan is a festive twist on the classic Manhattan cocktail, perfect for holiday celebrations. This elegant drink features a rich amber hue, achieved by blending rye whiskey with sweet vermouth. The traditional flavor is enhanced with a unique addition of smoked cherries, adding a subtle, smoky sweetness. A sprig of rosemary infuses the cocktail with a fragrant, herbaceous aroma, invoking the essence of winter. The drink is served in a rocks glass containing a large ice chunk. The finishing touch is a gracefully twisted grapefruit peel, adding a citrusy zing and completing the cocktail’s holiday charm.
Ingredients
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
2 oz Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey
2 dashes Sour Cherry Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Fresh cherries (for smoking)
Fresh rosemary (for smoking)
Grapefruit peel (for garnish)
Ice
Directions
- Prepare the Smoke:
Gather a few fresh cherries and a sprig of rosemary.
Using a kitchen torch, gently torch the rosemary and cherries until they start to smoke. Be careful not to burn them.
Immediately cover the smoking rosemary and cherries with a rocks glass to trap the smoke inside. Let it sit for a minute to infuse the glass with the smoky aroma. - In a mixing glass, combine 1 oz of Vermouth and 2 oz of Rye Whiskey.
- Add 2 dashes each of Sour Cherry Bitters and Peychaud’s Bitters.
- Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir well to chill and dilute the cocktail.
- Add an ice chunk to the smoked rocks glass.
- Strain the stirred cocktail into the smoked rocks glass.
- Finish and Garnish:
Take a peel of grapefruit and express (squeeze) its oils over the drink.
Use the grapefruit peel as a garnish.
Use one of the smoke cherries as a garnish.
Use the sprig of rosemary as a garnish.
Notes
- Enjoy the smoked cherries as a treat, or save them for a future cocktail garnish.